Preparing our Workforce

Statement

Dear Friend-

Preparing our nation's students with the skills necessary to enter the workforce is critical to ensuring a healthy economy, so I wanted to update you on some of my district work in this area.

This month, I toured the SON Metal Fabrication Plant in Ashland. This company works to combine sheet metal fabrication and machining to meet the needs of their many customers. I was able to meet with their incredible crew and hear about the educational steps they took to get to their current positions.

Workforce development is extremely important. Who knows better what the workforce needs than the actual employer? We must examine the skills needed in the workforce and provide real world application to academic curriculum. In Congress, we have been working to implement policies that emphasize the importance of skills and education in building a strong national workforce.

The House passed H.R. 2253, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for 21st Century Act, to increase the capabilities of community and technical colleges to identify and train students in career and technical education (CTE) programs. This bill returns power back to states by freeing up budget constraints allowing them to prioritize funding for rural areas and areas with a high percentage of CTE participants.

This legislation will also help to better align education with the needs of the workforce by allowing businesses to partner with community and technical colleges to better identify the skills necessary for the workforce.

Please do not hesitate to contact me anytime an issue that concerns you comes before the House, especially if it concerns education and our workforce.

It's an honor to serve you and Virginia's First District in the People's House.

Sincerely,
Rob

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